Shape: crab shaped
Size: 9 inches in width
Coloration: sandy, beige, with brown spots
This crustacean was taken on orange beach in Alabama. We accidentally captured it in a bucket, but was released later on.

This organism has a tapered triangular shape, getting narrower at the tip. The leaves are rounded and appear to be bisected by a line. Each leaf has between three and five imprinted circles on each side of the center line. The smaller leaves on the stem vary from half an inch to an inch in length. The entire structure with the main stem varies from four to six inches in length. Many stems with leaves grouped together to cover a tree about the entire circumference (about three to four feet) as well as a height of about four feet as well. The leaves are light green, the stem is a grayish brown underneath, and there are brown spores on the underside of the leaves in the same location as the circular indents. Individuals that are wilting turn yellow with brown spots until completely turning brown. The stems appear fuzzy while the roots appear dry and segmented like scales. Reference is "Ferns of North America" on iNaturalist website. [https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/6588]
The habitat this organism was found in was in humid south Florida growing on a tree. This is a terrestrial habitat known as a forest ecosystem with occasional shade, warm climate, and occasional rainstorms. The forest ecosystem is known for having many trees. The distribution of this particular plant is Florida, Texas, Illinois, and Delaware.